VMware Buys Desktone, Desktop as a Service (DaaS) Trademark

VMware (VMW) has acquired Desktone, a top desktop as a service (DaaS) technology provider. Short term, VMware will need to carefully coordinate Desktone and its own Horizon View (virtual desktop infrastructure) technology. But long-term, the move should inspire more VARs and service providers to offer hosted desktops and related technologies.

In a prepared statement, VMware Executive VP Sanjay Poonen said Desktone will allow VMware to accelerate the delivery of DaaS through a network of more than 11,000 service providers. He noted that Desktone is already certified with vCloud, vSphere and Horizon View. The acquisition closed earlier this month. Financial details were not disclosed.

In separate blog posts, Poonen and Desktone CEO Peter McKay offered additional thoughts on the deal.

By acquiring Desktone, The VAR Guy assumes VMware now owns the Desktop as a Service (DaaS) trademark. If true, VMware could flex its muscle in the weeks and months ahead, reminding rivals that DaaS is not a generic term. Instead, it now appears to be part of the VMware kingdom. (The VAR Guy is double-checking that thesis.)

Desktone will become part of VMware’s End User Computing (EUC) push. That initiative is designed to give customers anywhere, anytime access to their desktops — in an optimized manner. The EUC push extends across PCs, tablets and smart phones. And the EUC initiative will likely accelerate as customers and partners seek upgrade paths from Windows XP — which Microsoft will end of life on April 8, 2014.

VMware is talking up the Desktone acquisition at this week’s oimagesconference in Barcelona. At the same time, VMware, HP and Atlantis are pitching Horizon View and related technologies for VDI.